


Half Sweet

by hannah_baker



Category: Men's Hockey RPF
Genre: College AU, Connor's Gay Awakening, Dylan/Mikey background relationship, Falling In Love, M/M, coffee shop AU, non-hockey au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-11
Updated: 2019-03-11
Packaged: 2019-11-15 21:04:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,660
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18080876
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hannah_baker/pseuds/hannah_baker
Summary: “How’s your gay awakening going?” Mikey asked, brash and free of boundaries. Mikey was pretty direct.“I’m not having a gay awakening,” Connor mumbled, but Leon’s shoulders popped into his head at the thought.Wherein Connor is a college freshman with his first ever crush on a boy.





	Half Sweet

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Diehairdye](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Diehairdye/gifts).



> Written for my wonderful friend Jillian, who is as invested in [Connor's Leon-triggered gay awakening](http://thewestishharpooners.tumblr.com/post/183275441894/leonsdraisaitl-les-habitants) as I am. Thank you for not making me write hockey, haha. I hope you like it :) 
> 
> Also, thank you to my consulting barista, Jenn <3

“Mikey’s coming next weekend,” Dylan said, from the other end of their futon. Connor and Dylan shared a dorm room the size of a shoebox, but they configured their room to fit in a futon for optimal video game playing. This meant bunk beds and a door that only opened about seventy percent of the way. It was fine with Connor. He’d kinda always wanted to sleep on the top bunk. 

 

“I know,” Connor told him, Xbox controller in hand, his eyes focused on the screen where his Toronto Maple Leafs were losing to Dylan’s Nashville Predators. They’d coin flipped for the Leafs. Connor had won. “I know because you haven’t stopped talking about Mikey’s every movement since the very first day we moved in.” 

 

Connor had been nervous about college—living with a roommate in particular—but he’d drawn the long straw for Dylan apparently. They were friends instantly, clicking like they’d known each other forever. And because Connor loved Dylan, he had to also love Dylan’s boyfriend. They were a package deal. 

 

“I’m just saying, like…” Dylan said, eyes just as focused on the screen as he scored a goal. He threw his arms up in celebration mid-thought, then re-focused as they came back to center ice for puck drop. “I want you to like him and everything, but I also want some like, alone time with him.” 

 

“Gotta bone your boy, I hear you,” Connor said. They had started their roommate relationship with a mandatory guided discussion and worksheet that their RA had given to all new roommates. They had decided what was reasonable when someone was trying to sleep, and what to do if your roommate brought someone ‘special’ back to the room. It was October, and neither of them had run into that opportunity yet. Connor because he hadn’t met anyone. Dylan because his boyfriend was still in high school and hadn’t been able to visit. 

 

“I can’t wait for him to graduate,” Dylan said, a little wistfully. 

 

“I know,” Connor said. He had this weird fondness for Dylan’s love for Mikey. Mostly because he hoped that one day someone would love him the way Dylan loved Mikey. “And he will, and he’ll come here, and you’ll room with him and then get married or whatever.” 

 

“You can’t be my best man because I have brothers who would kill me, but you can be my groomsman.” Dylan had this little smile on his face that he always got when he thought about Mikey. 

 

Connor laughed, leaned into Dylan enough to knock their shoulders together. The time on their game expired, and Dylan was up by one. “You motherfucker,” Connor said, throwing his controller on the floor by the Xbox. “I need coffee before homework.” 

 

“Aye aye,” Dylan said, grabbing his room key and his student ID and following Connor out the door. 

 

They headed from their dorm toward the connected student union where there was a coffee shop where they could use their meal plan to buy coffee, and they did regularly. It was late for coffee, but as they rounded the corner to the café area, Connor smiled. His favorite barista was there. It was only five percent of the reason he’d wanted to come. Or maybe ten percent. 

 

Connor and Dylan scrolled the internet in line, and Dylan showed Connor photos of Mikey that Mikey was snapping to him, Mikey’s bright smile reflected on Dylan’s face. Connor was a little distracted by the time they got up to the front of the line, thinking about true love, and what that even meant. 

 

Leon was there in his green apron, his hair neat, beard short and scruffy. Connor couldn’t figure out how to talk, how to convey the order that he wanted. Dylan stepped in front of him, rolling his eyes. 

 

“I’ll have a mocha,” he said, handing over his student ID that was attached to all his keys and crap so Leon could swipe it awkwardly. Dylan knocked his shoulder into Connor to startle him awake. 

 

“Um,” Connor stuttered. Leon’s gaze was focused on him, steely grey and halting. 

 

“You want your usual, or something specific?” Leon asked. Connor felt his cheeks heat. He couldn’t keep up with Leon’s eye contact. It felt like so much. 

 

Connor’s usual was a random surprise drink Leon made. One time he hadn’t known what to order, and Leon had made him this raspberry white mocha thing that Connor almost moaned when drinking. Since then, it was kind of their thing. Leon making Connor a surprise concoction. Sometimes it was hot, or iced, or blended. But it was always very sweet. 

 

“I want the surprise,” Connor said. Leon smiled the smile that had made Connor want coffee to begin with. Leon swiped Connor’s student ID and started making Dylan’s mocha. 

 

Dylan snapped a photo of it for Mikey after Leon handed it over. Connor was sure Mikey would see in about ten minutes when they got back to their room, on the screen of Dylan’s iPad that he had basically just to FaceTime Mikey as they did their homework together. Mikey was kind of already Connor’s second roommate. 

 

Connor blushed when Leon called his name, which he knew without prompting after the first time Connor had ordered coffee from him. He handed over Connor’s drink—a hot one. 

 

“It’s a white chocolate hazelnut mocha with caramel drizzle on top,” Leon said, a little hint of his accent coming out. His accent was one that Connor couldn’t one hundred percent place. Like he had been in Canada for a while but didn’t start out here. 

 

“That sounds amazing,” Connor said. 

 

“If you don’t like it, I’ll make you something else.” Leon always said that, like he expected Connor to be disappointed. Connor was never disappointed. He took a sip. 

 

“Holy shit,” Connor said as he got his first taste. A little caramel drizzle, a little vanilla whipped cream, a little white mocha, the hazelnut mellow in the background. “You’re a genius.”    
  


“Glad you liked it, Connor,” Leon said. There were people in line again, and Leon had to divert his attention to them, but he gave Connor a wink. Connor took another sip of his mocha, sighed deep. 

 

“I’m snapping Mikey the expression on your face,” Dylan said, holding his phone up, pointed at Connor. 

 

“You’re a bitch,” Connor said, as they headed back to their dorm. The student union was interconnected to a couple of dorm buildings, so they didn’t even have to go outside to get back. That was some Canadian architecture right there. 

 

In their room, Connor grabbed his laptop and notebook and spread out on the futon. Dylan, the owner of the bottom bunk, spread out over his sheets and called Mikey almost immediately.

 

“Hey babe,” Connor heard through Dylan’s iPad. Mikey and Dylan were just gross as shit, but Connor liked the chatter in the background. It made him feel cozy, like he was doing homework with his friends at home, dominating the dining room table of someone’s house, their mom in the background making brownies or something in the kitchen. No one was making him brownies, but he took another sip of his very sweet coffee and smiled. 

 

“He’s making his Leon face again,” Dylan said. Connor could tell he’d switched the camera to the back-facing camera from the way Dylan was currently pointing his iPad at him.  

 

“I don’t know what you mean,” Connor said. 

 

“Yeah, how is your crush on Leon, Connor?” Mikey asked. Dylan flipped the whole iPad around so Connor could see Mikey, in a black sweatshirt that had “Strome” Stitched over the heart, crossed hockey sticks underneath the name. 

 

“I don’t have a crush on him,” Connor said. “I like girls.” 

 

“Do you?” Mikey asked. “Because the photos Dyl sent me say otherwise.” 

 

“Yeah, dude,” Dylan agreed. He took his boyfriend back, setting the iPad back on his bed so he could see Mikey and Mikey could see him. “Mikey has a good point. When you’re around him, your mouth just...hangs open. Like you’re shocked at how beautiful he is.” 

 

“He just makes good coffee,” Connor said defensively. 

 

“Yeah. I’m sure it’s just the coffee,” Dylan said. Dylan fiddled with his phone a bit and then threw it at Connor. “Look at yourself.” 

 

The photos were...damning. Connor looked entranced. He swiped a couple times through different shots, his face absolutely ridiculous. 

 

“Dig through my photos with caution,” Dylan said, and Connor dropped the phone with disgust and then picked it back up to throw back to Dylan. 

 

“Gross,” Connor said. He liked Dylan just fine and everything, but he did  _not_ want to see his roommate's dick pics. 

 

“He’s an artist,” Mikey interjected, making Dylan laugh and blush at the same time. Connor really didn’t want any further details of their sext life. 

 

“Stop talking,” Connor said, reading through his English paper to get him caught back up to where he left off. Where was he again? The background chatter of Dylan and Mikey talking about their respective days (that they had already Snapchatted to each other and texted about) falling into background noise. 

 

He took another sip of his mocha and thought about Leon. He broad shoulders and scruffy facial hair. He faint accent from somewhere. The wink he always gives Connor as he hands over whatever drink he made him. 

 

Connor could feel something warm in his stomach when he thought about Leon’s eyes. Connor...wasn’t gay. Right? Connor liked girls. He had concrete, solid proof that he liked girls. But when he thought about Leon, he wanted Leon on top of him, weighing him down as he pressed kisses up Connor’s neck, kissed his lips like he meant it. 

 

_ Fuck.  _ Connor wasn’t like... _gay_ though right? 

 

“How would I know if I was gay?” Connor asked, both to Dylan and Mikey, as Dylan was giving Mikey some advice on some teacher Mikey had this year that Dylan had taken a class with last year. They stopped talking immediately. “Like, hypothetically.” 

 

Mikey cracked up, his voice a little digital and far away. Connor worked up the confidence to look over at Dylan. He had this sweet, soft smile on his face. 

 

“‘Hypothetically.’ Not even two months of living with you and he’s already gay,” Mikey said, his voice so exasperated. “Is this the agenda?” 

 

“You do like him,” Dylan said, ignoring his boyfriend. He looked pretty pleased about it. 

 

“I don’t know,” Connor said. He was pretty sure he did like Leon. He’d had crushes on girls before that didn’t feel this strong, this all-encompassing. “I think I want him to kiss me.” 

 

“I think I can confirm you have a crush,” Dylan said. “Happy for you, dude. That crush feeling is fun.” 

 

“You’re not allowed to have crushes, Dylan William,” Mikey said, and Dylan diverted his attention to his iPad again, his gaze soft and gross. 

 

“I only have a crush on you, baby,” Dylan said. He looked back at Connor. “Maybe if you’re lucky you’ll find a lifetime of love.” 

 

“Or free coffee,” Mikey said. Connor felt a little more emotionally prepared for the coffee. 

 

\---

 

Connor battled between wanting to go get coffee six times a day, and never wanting to go back. He settled for going when Dylan suggested it, which was a consistent once a day.

 

They didn’t always see Leon there, and Connor was both disappointed and relieved by it when it happened. And when he wasn’t there, Connor always ordered one of the concoctions that Leon had made for him in the past. Pumpkin spice dark chocolate blended mocha. Vanilla caramel iced latte. That hazelnut thing that he had written down to remember. 

 

At night he thought about Leon, what it would be like if Leon was laying in bed with him, holding him, his body tucked close against Connor’s. The way his scruff would feel on the back of Connor’s neck. How nice it would be to share a blanket, wake up to soft kisses. 

 

Yeah. Connor had a crush. He was in deep. 

 

\---

 

The day Mikey arrived, Dylan was bouncing off the walls. Mikey lived an hour and a half away from school, so it wasn’t a long drive. They’d mainly waited to see each other based on this article Mikey had found online that Dylan complained about constantly. About letting Dylan have time to adjust to school and make his own friends. 

 

Dylan had Connor, and that was basically it. And only because Connor lived in the same room as him. He wasn't sure what the point of waiting to see each other was when they spent all their free time together digitally anyway. 

 

They finished up dinner at the dining hall and headed back to the student union to wait for Mikey, since it was close to guest parking. They would need to get Mikey a pass for his car, but Dylan wanted to see him as soon as possible. Connor was excited to meet him too. 

 

“I feel like I already know him, because he practically already lives in our room,” Connor said. “But it will be cute to see you together.” 

 

“It will be cute. We’re so cute you’re going to puke.” Connor didn’t doubt this. 

 

Connor could see that Leon was at the cafe, several meters down from the benches Connor and Dylan were sitting on, and there was no one else there. It was Friday after dinner. If people were drinking right now, they weren't drinking coffee. Connor left Dylan on the bench in order to go get a coffee, even though he didn’t really need it. Recently, his fantasy had been holding Leon’s hand, and he just wanted a close-up look at them to flesh out his daydreams a little more. 

 

“Hey,” Leon said, face brightening when he saw Connor. Leon always seemed to be scowling when he interacted with other people, but never with Connor. It made Connor feel special. It was probably because Connor let him practice his weird coffee flavors on him again. “Wild Friday night plans?”

 

“Naw. My roommate’s boyfriend is in town, so I’ll probably be sexlied for at least some of it,” Connor explained.

 

“Can I make you a drink?” Leon asked. “As a consolation prize?” 

 

Connor smiled and handed his ID over. Leon waved it off. “On me,” he said, grabbing a hot cup and squirting syrup into it. Connor tried not to look at what was going into it. He wanted it to be a surprise. Leon started pulling espresso shots. 

 

“You have any Friday night plans?” Connor asked. 

 

“I’m here until closing at nine,” Leon said. “Then probably Fifa at home. Pretty wild.” 

 

“Sounds like it,” Connor said, watching him add whipped cream to the top of his drink and sealing it with a lid. 

 

“If you get kicked out of your room and are looking for a place to hang out,” Leon said, handing his drink over, “you can come hang out here.” 

 

“Yeah,” Connor said. “Maybe I will.” 

 

“CON,” Dylan yelled down the open hallway of the student union into the café. It snapped him out of his Leon haze. 

 

“I guess you’re being beckoned,” Leon said. 

 

“Guess so.” 

 

“Maybe I’ll see you.” Leon smiled at him, this small little turn up at the corners of his mouth like his real smile was a secret. 

 

“Yeah,” Connor said, before heading down the hallway to Dylan, who had a tall boy with dirty blonde hair attached to him already, arms wrapped around him tight, face in the crook of Dylan’s neck. Dylan’s arms were tight around Mikey in return, and only because Dylan was a lanky bastard was he taller than his boyfriend. 

  
Dylan was  _ beaming _ . 

 

“We got his parking pass already, so he’s good,” Dylan told him, his face happier than Connor had ever seen it. Mikey nuzzled his neck for a second before pulling back, just far enough away from Dylan to look at him, and then they were kissing. 

 

“You really needed me right now?” Connor asked, took a sip of his drink. It was outrageous. Vanilla cinnamon dolce something something. Leon hadn’t told him this time. He was just guessing. It was good, as always. 

 

Dylan pulled away from Mikey’s lips reluctantly, and then Mikey turned on him, pouncing to hug Connor like Connor was his boyfriend too. Full body touching hug. 

 

“We’re already friends,” Mikey said, and Connor smiled as he extricated himself. Yeah. He guessed they were. “Oh my god,” Mikey not-subtly whispered, taking a look at Connor’s coffee in his hands. “Is your coffee crush here?” Mikey whispered, but it was not a quiet whisper. It was a loud whisper. 

 

“Shut up,” Connor insisted, herding them down the hall toward the dorms. He couldn’t take a chance of Mikey blowing his cover. Mikey threw a look over his shoulder, but melted into Dylan when Dylan flung an arm around his shoulders. At least Connor could trust his roommate. 

 

Back in the room, Mikey threw his duffel bag onto the bed. He’d been there on move-in day, apparently, before Connor had shown up, so he knew his way around their dorm a little. He immediately pulled his hoodie off and dug through Dylan’s closet for a new one, pulling it over his head and pulling the collar over his nose to take a deep breath. 

 

It was fucking cute, and Connor wanted so, so painfully to have that. To have a boy who he could steal hoodies from. He absently thought about how Leon’s hoodies would probably be a little bit big on him, maybe. 

 

Dylan leaned against the back of the door, just beaming at Mikey, until Mikey made his way over to him and settled himself against Dylan, his back to Dylan’s front. Dylan put his hands on Mikey's hips. They were both looking at Connor, who was sitting on the futon. 

 

“How’s your gay awakening going?” Mikey asked, brash and free of boundaries. Mikey was pretty direct. 

 

“I’m not having a gay awakening,” Connor mumbled, but Leon’s shoulders popped into his head at the thought. 

 

“I sent him some porn to get him used to the idea,” Dylan said, shrugging. 

  
“Oh yeah?” Mikey asked, his interest piqued. “Which one? Anything you’ve sent me?” 

 

“The one where,” and Dylan whispered something into Mikey’s ear, as though Connor hadn’t already watched it. He’d never watched gay porn before, even though there was a part of him that had always been curious. A part of him that lingered too long on the guys when he watched straight porn. At this point, he was pretty sure he liked both. 

 

“Ooooohhhh,” Mikey said, voice pitched lower than before. 

 

“Okay I thought maybe we would be able to like, watch a movie together or something, but jesus I can’t hold out here,” Dylan said, and Connor got it. Why did they drag him all the way back to the room if they just wanted to get naked this fast?

 

“Alright, alright,” Connor said, grabbing his backpack and his coffee before heading out. 

 

“I’ll text when it’s safe to come back,” Dylan said, and he and Mikey shuffled away from the door so Connor could leave. He was already putting his hands up Mikey’s shirt. 

 

“Gross,” Connor said, for what felt like the millionth time. He was glad to hear the door shut behind him. 

 

He headed back to the cafe, a little nervous. Leon had invited him, point blank. And it was a public space anyway. But Connor still felt anxious about it. 

 

When he rounded the corner to the cafe, it was empty of students. It was just past eight. Connor would have less than an hour before the cafe closed, and less than two before the whole building closed. He hoped Dylan and Mikey wouldn’t be long. 

 

Leon was the only person there, and he didn’t hear the soft pad of Connor’s sneakers on the industrial carpet. He was just wiping down the counter behind the bar, looking lost in thought, his brow furrowed, serious looking. Leon wasn’t all that much bigger than Connor, but he looked big. Maybe because Connor was comparing Leon to who he’d crushed on in the past. Who he’d dated in the past. Girls. And compared to girls, Leon was massive. 

 

The thought made Connor’s mouth go a little dry. 

 

He cleared his throat as he approached the register, and Leon looked up, his face transforming in Connor’s presence. Not the way Dylan looked at Mikey, exactly, but it was something. Something bright and happy. Something that made Connor’s stomach flutter. 

 

“You’re back,” Leon said. “You got kicked out fast.” 

 

“I don’t know why they even bothered to drag me upstairs with them when they knew they wouldn’t be able to keep their hands off each other. I guess it was nice that I got to grab my backpack.” He shrugged. He wasn’t annoyed about it. He could have been. He knew someone would have been a little ticked off to get kicked out of their room. But Dylan was, in general, a really great roommate (minus the mess) and if Connor’s high school boyfriend had shown up for the weekend, he knew Dylan would have been outta there in a flash. 

 

“You’re a good roommate,” Leon said, leaning forward on the counter, resting his weight on his forearms. 

 

Connor rolled his eyes. “Not really. It’s also nice that I don’t have to see them go at it.” 

 

“Yeah, that can be scarring. I don’t miss the freshman dorms.” 

 

“You know I’m a freshman?” Connor asked. 

 

“Or a transfer. I would have noticed you before if you’d been here longer.” Leon smiled at him, something in his gaze almost predatory. Connor could feel his hands start to shake. 

 

“What year are you?” Connor asked instead, trying to get a handle on himself. 

 

“I’m a junior.” 

 

“Junior Leon,” Connor repeated. He’d never had this problem before. He’d never stumbled over his words talking to a guy before. Never searched in mind for something to say and come up completely blank. With girls, sure. He was an idiot. Apparently, with girls and Leon. 

 

“Yeah, halfway done. Still feels like forever to go. But maybe it’s not so bad now,” he said, raising his eyebrows at Connor, like Connor was what made the difference for him. “How was your drink?” 

 

“Um, really good, as always,” he said. He had a few sips left, and when he finished it off, he tossed it in the trash and Leon tilted his head at him. 

 

“You want another?” 

 

“I’ll never sleep. Plus, so much sugar,” Connor said. He’d been cutting sugar out of other areas of his diet to accommodate how incredibly hyper Leon’s drinks always made him feel. 

 

“Too sweet? I can make your next one half as sweet if you want. I know the syrups can be a little much.” 

 

“What do you make yourself?” 

 

“Usually just an Americano, sometimes with caramel.” 

 

“You don’t drink the big fancy drinks you make me?” Connor asked. 

 

“Nah, it’s a little overboard for me.” 

 

“And what makes you think I’ll like them?” 

 

“The face you made the first time you ordered coffee from me. Do you remember that? You got a black coffee, and when you took your first sip, you looked like you were going to die.” 

 

“You remember…?” Connor was a little baffled. He did remember that. Remembered that he had been confronted with Leon’s beautiful face and hadn’t been able to form a coherent thought. The person in front of him had ordered a black coffee, and so he’d just parroted the first guy’s order. And immediately regretted it. 

 

“Yeah. It was pretty cute. Hard to forget. I like making those sweet drinks that make you smile instead.” 

 

Leon was...flirting with him. Right? That was flirting? He’d called Connor cute. Or his face after the black coffee was cute at least. 

 

Connor was interrupted from his rabbit hole of thoughts by someone coming up to actually order a drink. They got a decaf tea and it took about ten seconds for Leon to grab the cup and tea bag for it, and pour the hot water. When the woman and her tea were gone again, Leon looked back at Connor. 

 

“I’m not making you uncomfortable, am I?” he asked, his voice gentle, almost a whisper. 

 

“No,” Connor said immediately. “No, you’re not.” He leaned against the edge of the counter, the only thing keeping space between him and Leon, getting a couple of inches closer to him, and feeling like his whole body was alight with this flirting feeling. He wasn’t exactly sure how to flirt back. How do you flirt with a boy? Was it even any different than with a girl? 

 

“Where are you from, Connor?” 

 

“Newmarket,” he said. “Where are you from?”

 

“Germany, originally. My family moved to the GTA when I was a kid for my dad’s job. Been here for a while.” 

 

“Explains the accent,” Connor said. Was that flirting? He didn’t really think so. He tried again. “Do you still speak German?” 

 

“Of course,” Leon said. “It’s all we speak at home. German at home, English outside.” 

 

“Can you say something in German?” Connor asked, and okay, now he felt like he was maybe getting into the flirting range of things. 

 

Leon laughed at him, gave him the smallest roll of the eye, and said something, quick and brief in German. 

 

“What did you say?” Connor asked. 

 

“Oh, you’ll have to earn the translation,” Leon said, and Connor could feel the heat on his cheeks, just absolutely burning up. Leon smirked, looking proud, then changed the subject to what Connor was studying, and the conversation flowed from there. 

 

When Connor looked up at the clock behind Leon, he saw it was almost nine. Leon was almost done. 

 

“Wow, we’ve um, been talking for a while,” Connor said, and Leon checked the time on his phone. 

 

“I should probably actually start closing this place down,” he said, still chatting with Connor as he went through his cleaning and closing checklist. When nine hit, he cleaned the espresso machines and bagged up the register, putting the money into a safe behind the counter for his manager in the morning. 

 

Dylan still hadn’t texted. 

 

Leon finally came out from behind the counter, and Connor thought it might be the first time that he’d seen Leon in the wild, his apron gone, a jacket pulled over his shoulders. 

 

“You still sexilied?” He asked, and Connor shrugged. 

 

“Haven’t heard back from my roommate yet. It’s been six weeks since he’s seen his boyfriend so they probably have a lot to um, cover.” 

 

Leon chuckled. “Well, if you have nowhere else to go, you could come back to my place. Hang out. Do you play Fifa?” 

 

“I’m not very good at Fifa, but that sounds really great,” Connor said. He was going back to a boy’s house. Shit. He was in over his head. 

 

—-

 

Leon had a pickup truck and terrible taste in music, and he lived in off-campus apartments that were primarily student housing, but far enough away that they did have to drive to get to them. 

 

Connor had his backpack full of homework on his back, and even though he knew Leon was also in school, it made him feel like a little kid. Like he was very, very inexperienced. 

 

Leon’s roommate apparently spent most weekends with his girlfriend (most nights in general), so it was just the two of them. Connor put his backpack down by his shoes and followed Leon into the kitchen. 

 

“You hungry?” He asked Connor, and while Connor had already had dinner, it was getting past 9:30. And honestly, he could basically always eat. He let Leon know that.

 

“Want popcorn?” Leon asked, giving Connor some eyebrows that Connor couldn’t quite discern. Like he was proud of his popcorn. Who is proud of popcorn? You put the bag in the microwave and hit the popcorn button. 

 

But Connor nodded because Leon seemed excited, and Leon took out a pan from a cabinet, and a container or popcorn kernels. 

 

“Oh, what?” Connor asked, laughing. 

 

“You’re a microwave popcorn person?” Leon asked. 

 

“I honestly hadn’t considered that people make it any other way,” Connor said. 

 

“It’s better this way,” Leon said, and Connor watched as Leon carefully made him popcorn on the stove, heating up oil before testing its temperature by dropping a few kernels in. When it was ready, he added the rest and covered the pot. When it was all popped, Leon poured it into a big bowl and added seasoning and melted butter. He offered it out to Connor to try, and Connor took a kernel, popped it into his mouth. 

 

“Holy shit, this isn’t even the same food,” he said, reaching for more. 

 

“Bring it to the couch?” Leon asked, and handed Connor the bowl. Connor wandered deeper into the apartment, to a small living room with a well-worn couch. He sat, put the bowl down on the coffee table, and Leon followed after with a beer in each hand. He gave one to Connor. 

 

“So you’re not a Fifa guy, huh?” Leon asked, taking a handful of popcorn. Connor was already addicted. Already planning on googling how Leon had done this later. Not that he currently had a pan he could use. Or a stove for that matter. Maybe when he went home for Christmas. Or maybe he could just have Leon make him a metric ton of the stuff. 

 

“I’m just really shitty at it,” Connor said. He hadn’t logged the hours necessary to get good enough to compete. 

 

“NHL?” Leon asked. 

 

“Yeah, I can do hockey,” Connor said, smiling, feeling like he was on better footing. 

 

“Canadians,” Leon said, smiling. 

 

“You don’t like hockey?” Connor asked, shocked. 

 

“Hockey is great. I played as a kid. Germans like hockey. Canadians just have one setting.”

 

“That is maybe true,” Connor said. He was fine with other sports. Hockey was the only one he  _ loved _ , though. 

 

Leon put the disc into the Xbox and handed Connor a controller. 

 

Maybe Leon would have beaten him at Fifa, but they were well-matched on the ice. It could be frustrating to play against Dylan, who was unfairly good, but Connor thought spending so much time playing someone better than him had made his own game stronger. He liked that there wasn’t a clear winner in the end, the handful of games they played a blur of close matches. 

 

By the end, Connor’s beer was empty and the popcorn was gone. He flopped back into Leon’s couch, not able to help the smile on his face. 

 

“Having fun?” Leon asked, settling back against the couch himself, close to Connor, because the couch was small. There weren’t many options. 

 

“Yes,” Connor said without hesitation. It was so easy to be with Leon. Leon always knew what to say, how to approach Connor’s shyness or hesitation with caution, making Connor feel safe. 

 

“Good,” Leon said. “You need to head back? I don’t want to keep you out too late.” 

 

Connor checked his phone. Nothing from Dylan. Still. 

 

“Still silence. They probably fell asleep. Or...I don’t want to know.” 

 

“If you need to, you can stay here. My bed is big. Or you can have the couch,” Leon said, reacting to Connor’s face at the word ‘bed.’ 

 

“Um,” Connor said. “I don’t want to impose.” 

 

“You’re not, I promise. It would save me a trip back to campus in the very least.” 

 

“I’m sorry,” Connor apologized, looking down at his hands. He just felt guilty saddling Leon with some freshman who had nowhere to go. 

 

“Connor,” Leon said, leaning in close to him. “Please don’t apologize for the most fun I’ve had all semester.” 

 

Connor glanced up to meet Leon’s eyes, and Leon put a gentle hand on his cheek, tilting Connor’s face up just slightly higher, the right angle for a kiss. Leon leaned in slowly, taking his time to get to Connor, waiting to make sure Connor wanted this. 

 

He paused, millimeters away from Connor’s lips and waited for him. Connor realized that Leon wasn’t going to make that last move and mustered up the little bit of confidence he had to close that distance. 

 

Leon’s lips were warm, their kiss chaste. But even though their kiss was mellow, Connor wasn’t. His heart was pounding in his chest. He wasn’t sure what to do with his hands. Leon pulled away, letting Connor take a moment to take a breath. 

 

“Was that okay?” Leon asked, and all Connor could do was nod vigorously. “Would you want to do that again?” 

 

Connor wasn’t sure exactly what kind of body language he was displaying to make Leon treat him so gently, but he was appreciating it. It wasn’t his first kiss, or his first time alone with someone he liked, but it was the first time it was a boy. And he was still adjusting to that. 

 

Connor did want to do that again, and he nodded, shifted on the couch a bit to face Leon better, and took Leon’s face in his hands. His cheeks were soft with a scruffy beard, and when Connor touched him, his smile grew big and happy. Their legs were a little in the way, but one of Leon’s hands found Connor’s waist, and Connor leaned in for another kiss. 

 

This time it was deep and smooth, slow but less careful than their first kiss. Connor liked the feel of Leon’s beard against his lips, Leon’s hands firm on his hips. It was awkward because of the way they were sitting on the couch, but the couch was too small for them to lay down on.

 

They tried not to let that get in the way. 

 

Kissing a boy was so different than kissing a girl. Or at least kissing Leon was different than the girls Connor had kissed in the past. There was nothing dainty about him. Nothing submissive or shy. Leon kissed him with the assured feeling that Connor wanted to be kissed, and fuck did Connor ever want to be kissed. 

 

Leon was just confident, and Connor knew he wasn’t quite as confident himself. 

 

Leon sighed as he broke their kiss. “Man that feels so good,” he said, a little breathless. Connor was feeling the same way, but he was kind of pleased with himself that Leon was affected just as much as he was. “But this angle is fucking with my neck,” he laughed. 

 

“Yeah, this couch is not so great,” Connor agreed, his hand coming up to the back of his own neck, a little shy. 

 

“You can say no to this if you’re not comfortable, but we could make out in bed—just kiss,” Leon clarified. Again, Connor wasn’t one hundred percent sure what his face had done at the suggestion, but he blushed anyway. “If you’d rather, I can drive you back to your dorm too. I can take you back at any time if you’re not comfortable.” 

 

“I’m comfortable,” Connor said, not wanting Leon to feel like Connor was doing anything he didn’t want to do. 

 

“Did you want to stay over? It’s getting pretty late.” Connor didn’t feel like Leon was trying to convince him of anything. It was late. It was Friday night, but Connor had early classes every morning throughout the week. He was pretty tired. 

 

“I’d like that,” Connor said. “Both staying over and the um, kissing in bed.” 

 

Leon beamed at him, his hand cupping Connor’s cheek so gently to guide their faces back together for another sweet kiss. 

 

“Well, let’s get you ready for bed then,” Leon said. He showed Connor his room, which was big enough for a queen sized bed and a desk that looked more like a shelf that happened to have a chair placed by it. But it was neat. Neater than his and Dylan’s dorm room, that was for sure. 

 

Leon dug out some sweats and a big t-shirt for him to sleep in and let him have privacy to change. Leon went to brush his teeth, and when Connor was done changing, Leon gave him an extra toothbrush to use. 

 

Connor’s hands shook as he brushed his teeth in Leon’s little outdated bathroom, spat his toothpaste into the mint-green sink. The bathtub was mint green as well, but the toilet was white, and the tile around it was different than the rest of the bathroom. It was almost charming. Much less industrial than the dorm. 

 

When Connor pushed Leon’s bedroom door all the way open, Leon was already under the covers. His comforter had little pine trees on it, and his pillow cases were light blue, but when Connor closed the door behind him and crawled in next to Leon, the sheets smelled clean. 

 

“Let me know if this is too much and I can sleep on the couch,” Leon told him. There was a little space between them as they turned on their sides to face each other, and Leon didn’t move any closer. 

 

“This is good,” Connor said. His voice shook a little bit. It was October and just getting chilly in Canada, and the bed was not yet warm from the heat of their bodies. Connor wasn’t sure if it was a nervous shiver that went through him or a cold one. 

 

Again, Connor knew he had to be the one to initiate this, and he shifted just a little closer to Leon, leaned in to press their lips together. 

 

Leon sighed a happy sigh into the kiss. He let it stay slow and sweet for long minutes, until Connor’s body shifted closer again, the movement almost unconscious, chasing the warmth that Leon’s body was giving off. 

 

Leon pulled him close, hands on his hips again, groaning into the kiss. The sounds he made were so masculine, Connor couldn’t forget for a second that he was kissing a boy, and he was a little shocked how into it his body was, how he didn’t have to think about whether or not he found Leon attractive. Clearly, his body thought Leon was attractive. 

 

Leon had broad shoulders and a square jaw and was muscular everywhere, down his arms, his back, his thighs. He slipped a thigh between Connor’s legs, and Connor let out a little yelp of surprise. Leon pulled back instantly. 

 

“I’m sorry,” Leon said, pulling away. “I didn’t mean to push you too far.” 

 

“No, I liked it,” Connor said. “I liked it. I was just surprised.” 

 

Leon took a deep breath, let it out. His hands found Connor again, the back of his fingers skimming the curve of Connor’s cheek. “This is new for you,” Leon said, partly a statement, partly a question. 

 

“I’m not a virgin,” Connor said. “I just haven’t done this before. With a guy.” 

 

“That’s okay,” Leon said. “As long as you want to be here, we’ll go as slow as you want.” 

 

Connor believed him. Everything Leon had done up until that point made Connor trust that Leon had his best interests at heart. He was nervous in Leon’s bed, but he still felt safe. He shimmied closer to Leon, wrapped his arms around Leon’s neck. They kept kissing. 

 

Connor ended up on his back, Leon’s big body pressed against him. Leon kept encouraging Connor to touch him, explore his body at his own speed, and in return Leon kept his own hands above Connor’s clothes, above Connor’s waist. They were both undeniably hard, but Leon wasn’t pushing for anything, and Connor didn’t feel ready for that. Really, he’d only met Leon that night, even if they’d been flirting over coffee for weeks. 

 

Finally, Connor could barely feel his lips anymore. He pulled back, and Leon flipped to his side, pulling Connor to rest on his chest. He could feel Leon’s rapid heartbeat against his cheek, liked how snug it felt to have Leon’s arms this tight around him. 

 

“I need to be at work tomorrow at eleven,” Leon said. “Is it okay to drop you off at your dorm around then? Or do you need to get back sooner?” 

 

“Eleven works for me,” Connor said. He was happy and he was exhausted, and he’d never shared a bed with someone before, even just to sleep in. Not romantically. He could barely keep his eyes open to enjoy it though. He sank into sleep. 

 

—-

 

Connor woke up before Leon, tucked against Leon’s body, his first time being someone’s little spoon. And honestly who would want anything else? Leon’s body was pressed against his back seamlessly, one arm pillowing Connor’s head, the other draped over Connor’s waist. 

 

Connor slept well. In his dorm, he woke multiple times a night as a restless Dylan switched positions on the bunk below his, shaking both of their beds. In Leon’s bed, he had room to stretch out and a warm body next to him. 

 

He tried to stay still for as long as he could to soak it in. Connor wasn’t naturally a morning person, but so many morning classes had gotten him on that schedule reluctantly. The sun was coming in through Leon’s bedroom window. The alarm clock read 9:13. Connor breathed deep and easy, thought about the night before. 

 

He’s been so nervous, and Leon had been so good to him, so kind and soft and gentle. He could tell that’s what Connor had needed. But he’d still kissed Connor with passion that made Connor’s toes tingle. He may not be ready to go all the way yet, but he thought he wanted to take the next step with Leon. Connor trusted him. 

 

Connor shifted a little, a tiny movement he didn’t want Leon reacting to, but Leon stirred behind him, and as sad as Connor was knowing that their spooning would be over sooner than later, he was also kind of excited. 

 

And kind of scared. What if Leon regretted having Connor stay with him? What if he made fun of Connor for being a prude? 

 

Leon hummed into the back of Connor’s neck as he came to, pressing kisses to the skin right below Connor’s hairline. His arms tightened around Connor, pulling him impossibly closer. 

 

“Morning, baby,” Leon said in a rumbly morning voice, and Connor’s insides melted to lava. No one had ever called him baby like that before. One of his high school girlfriends had called him ‘babe,’ but  _ baby _ , from Leon who was only just waking up, felt monumentally different. Important. Like Leon thought Connor was important. 

 

“Hey,” Connor said. He tipped his face to the side and got a kiss on the cheek. 

 

“You sleep alright?” Leon asked. “I know I can be kind of an octopus.”

 

“That was really nice. I slept really well.” Connor couldn’t even hide how happy he was that the thing Leon was worried about was being too cuddly. 

 

Leon’s alarm went off. He reached over Connor and shut it off. Then he snuggled into Connor’s back again. “I’m gonna take a quick shower here. Then I’ll make you breakfast. You want to shower here or wait until you’re back home?” 

 

It wasn’t an offer to shower together. Leon knew he wasn’t ready for that. Didn’t even joke. 

 

“I’ll wait,” Connor said. 

 

“Okay. I’ll get up in five minutes,” Leon said, his sleepy voice more deeply accented than normal. He nudged Connor to flip over, and Connor snuggled into his chest while Leon scratched his back. 

 

“What did you say? Yesterday at the café?” Connor asked, a memory of the day before popping into his head at the sound of the accent. 

 

“Hmm?” he asked, a hand coming up to comb through Connor’s messy hair. 

 

“When I asked you to say something in German? You wouldn’t tell me what you said.” 

 

“Oh,” Leon laughed. He repeated the phrase, pulled away enough to look at Connor’s face, stroke his cheek. “You’re beautiful.” 

 

“Oh,” Connor said, voice high and surprised, pleased. A little embarrassed. Leon laughed. 

 

“Beautiful and bashful, apparently.” 

 

Connor tucked his face back into Leon’s chest and let Leon wrap his arms around him tight. “It’s very cute,” Leon said, going back to rubbing his back. It was lazy and nice and when Leon groaned that he did actually have to get out of bed, Connor couldn’t hide his disappointment. 

 

“Me too, baby,” Leon said when he saw Connor pout. He pinched Connor’s cheek gently, then got out of bed. 

 

Connor watched him grab a change of clothes and his towel and head out of the room. Then he rolled over to fish his phone out of his pocket. The battery was dying, but he still had fifteen percent left. And a ton of text messages on his phone. All from Dylan this morning. 

 

_ Shit, dude, we fell asleep.  _

_ You’re not dead are you? _

_ God I’m an asshole. Are you okay? I’m assuming you’re okay.  _

_ I’m not sure what to do if you’re not okay.  _

_ We’re clothed, and Mikey wants pizza for lunch so we’re going to go later. I’ll buy you some. Text me.  _

 

Connor responded back. 

 

_ I’m good. Leon has work at 11, so I’ll be home a little before then.  _

 

He sent it before he realized what he was saying. Dylan responded immediately. 

 

_ LEON?? Leon leon?? Why does Leon’s work schedule matter? Did you stay with him? Full details now please!!  _

_ Mikey wants to know if you’re still a virgin.  _

 

_ Jesus _ , Connor responded.  _ I’ll see you around 11. _

 

Connor slipped his clothes from the night before back on and headed out to the living room. There was a phone charger hanging out of the wall by the couch, so he plugged his phone in for a bit. 

 

When Leon got out of the shower, he looked incredible. His hair was still damp, his shirt sticking to him a little. Connor couldn’t help but stare. Leon smiled as he caught him. 

 

“Let me get you a clean t-shirt, at least,” Leon said, and Connor followed him into his bedroom. Leon grabbed him a shirt, and Connor headed into the bathroom with it, changing out of his day-old shirt and brushing his teeth with the toothbrush from last night. He wasn’t sure what to do with it now. It seemed a little hopeful to leave it in the toothbrush holder with Leon’s, his roommate’s, and his roommate’s girlfriend’s. But he didn’t have anywhere else to put it, and he got a little thrill putting it with the others, like his toothbrush belonged there. 

 

When he came out of the bathroom, he tucked his dirty shirt into his backpack and turned his attention to Leon. 

 

He was in the little galley kitchen, so small there were about twelve inches of counter space and a stove that must have been some kind of special order extra-tiny one. But Leon had a pan on the stove that he was cooking eggs in, and it looked like he knew what he was doing. There was bread down in the toaster. Connor was suddenly very hungry. 

 

“You wanna grab some glasses for juice?” Leon pointed to the cupboard where the glasses were and Connor grabbed two, then grabbed the juice from the fridge. Then he realized there was no table to eat at. 

 

“You can put them on the coffee table,” Leon said. “Sorry, this place is tiny as shit, and we don’t eat here a ton. Didn’t make sense to crowd in a kitchen table.” 

 

“Still bigger than my dorm room,” Connor said. 

 

“I guess so,” Leon chuckled. He dished up toast and eggs, and they ate on the couch, watching YouTube videos on Leon’s Xbox. 

 

“What are you up to today?” Leon asked, sipping his juice. 

 

“Lunch with my roommate and his boyfriend.” 

 

“What are their names?” Leon asked, and it was the kind of curiosity that felt sweet to Connor. Like he might need to know that info soon. Like Connor’s broader life mattered to him. 

 

“Dylan is my roommate. Mikey is his boyfriend. Mikey is like, the boy next door. He’s got one more year of high school, but he grew up down the street from Dylan. They were like, made for each other or something.” 

 

“That’s romantic,” Leon said. “Like soulmates.” 

 

“Yeah. I’m not sure I believe in soulmates, but Dylan and Mikey are a good argument I guess.” 

 

“What’s not to believe?” Leon asked. 

 

“Seven billion people in the world, and there’s only one that’s the perfect fit for you?” Connor asked. He shrugged. It didn’t really make sense to him. 

 

“What about a different take on it?” 

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“I mean, what if it wasn’t one right person. What if your soul was open to many, but once you found a good fit, your two souls kind of molded together? You became the only one in the entire world for each other.” 

 

“Isn’t that just falling in love?” 

 

This time it was Leon who shrugged. “You can fall in love with someone who isn’t meant to be. You can fall in love multiple times.” 

 

“Have you ever been in love?” Connor wasn’t sure when the conversation had gotten so deep. It’s like he’d slipped and fallen into this. And now that he was here, he couldn’t not ask these questions. 

 

Leon paused, set his juice back on the table. “I don’t think so, which is probably a no. You?” 

 

“No,” Connor said, pretty definitively. No one he’d dated had even made him feel the way Leon was making him feel, and they were on their first date. Was this a date?

 

Leon smiled at him, leaned in to press a kiss to his lips. When he pulled away, he grabbed Connor’s empty plate and brought their dishes to the kitchen, ditching them in the sink. 

 

“We should hit the road.”

 

“Yeah,” Connor said. He didn’t want to leave. Didn’t want to know what the world outside of the apartment was even like. 

 

“You just have your t-shirt?” Leon asked, looking at Connor, worrying. 

 

“I didn’t really think I’d be going outside,” he said. He’d shivered on the way over to Leon’s place, but it hadn’t been too bad. 

 

Leon disappeared into his room and came back out with a hoodie. He handed it to Connor. It was soft and grey with an Adidas logo on the front. Connor just held it until Leon raised his eyebrows at him like  _ well get on with it _ . Connor pulled it over his head, and they headed out the door. 

 

The ride back to school was short and sweet. Leon held his hand, and Connor worried the cuff of Leon’s hoodie with his empty left hand, thinking about how nice it felt to be in Leon’s clothes. The hoodie was big on him like he had hoped it would be. He resisted the urge to stick his nose in the collar and take a breath. 

 

Leon parked in the student lot and they walked into the student union together. Leon had fifteen minutes before his shift started, and Connor thought he’d probably just head to the café. But Leon paused in the hallway. 

 

“You need coffee?” he asked. 

 

“Um, yeah, coffee is great,” Connor said. 

 

“Wait here,” he said. It was Saturday, and although it was late morning, it was pretty empty. There weren’t any customers at the café, and Leon greeted his two coworkers before making a couple of drinks for the two of them. Connor heard Leon declare that he’d be back before his shift started, then headed back to Connor, a smile on his face. 

 

He handed Connor a drink and took his hand, starting the walk back to Connor’s dorm. He was walking Connor home. This unanticipated sweet gesture—coffee and all—was too much for him. Connor felt like he was going to burst. 

 

He took a sip of his drink. It was chocolatey, but not overwhelming. 

 

“Just a half-syrup mocha,” Leon said, leaning in to kiss him on the cheek. “Not too sweet.” 

 

“It’s perfect,” Connor said. 

 

When they got to the lobby of Connor’s dorm, they paused. “I should drop you here, or I’ll never get to work,” Leon said, giving him distinctly sexy eyes. 

 

“Okay,” Connor said, brain still struggling to talk around Leon. He was so beautiful, and his attention was completely focused on Connor. It was overwhelming. 

 

Leon pressed him against the wall next to the lobby TV that was currently off, and kissed him slow and deep. Connor wrapped his free arm around Leon’s neck, careful of his cup of coffee. Leon kissed him for long minutes, right there in public, like he had nothing to be ashamed about. Maybe this was what college was like. Connor had seen his fair share of PDA since he’d started that September, but he hadn’t really imagined that he would be involved in such public displays himself. 

 

He found that he kind of liked it. It felt like Leon was making a statement, even if there really weren’t too many people around them. A statement that this wasn’t a casual thing. 

 

When Leon pulled away, Connor coudn’t help the big grin on his face. Leon kissed him again, kissed his cheek, his forehead. He promised to give him a call after his shift, and Connor nodded. He watched Leon walk back down the hallway toward the café, looking over his shoulder as he left. 

 

Connor was high as he used his ID to buzz himself into his dorm building. He took the elevator up to the fifth floor, and he finally understood what the phrase “walking on clouds” meant. Finally, he pulled the collar of Leon’s hoodie up to smell it, and it smelled like Leon. Like something spicy and warm. It smelled like his sheets, and it smelled like his skin, and Connor wanted to bathe in it. 

 

He knocked on his and Dylan’s dorm door before unlocking it, finding Dylan and Mikey in bed but clothed, as promised, just cuddling and scrolling through Mikey’s Instagram, Mikey’s head on Dylan’s chest. 

 

“Lover boy!” Mikey shouted at him. 

 

“Yeah, you gotta tell us what the fuck happened. Also, that’s not your hoodie,” Dylan said. 

 

Connor couldn’t help it. A smile ripped across his face. He knew he was showing every tooth he had in his mouth. His face was probably bright red from how hot it felt, but he didn’t care. He just melted onto the futon, looked up at Mikey and Dylan. 

 

“We just hung out at the coffee shop until it closed, and then he invited me over.” 

 

“And what did you do?” Dylan said, raising an eyebrow. 

 

“He made popcorn on the stove and we played video games. And kissed.” Connor’s blush intensified. He felt bare, saying it out loud. He felt brave. 

 

“Just kissed?” Mikey asked.

 

“Just kissed. He was a gentleman. And very accommodating considering my situation.” 

 

“Your gay epiphany?” Mikey asked. 

  
“My temporary homelessness,” Connor corrected. 

 

“I’m sorry, Con, post-orgasm sleepies,” Dylan said. “We didn’t mean to.” 

 

“Yeah, yeah,” Connor said. “Obviously it worked out. He made me breakfast.” He took a sip of his drink and smiled again, unable to hold it in. Dylan and Mikey were just  _ looking at him.  _

 

“So looks like you’re gay huh?” Mikey asked, pressing him. 

 

“I, uh, am not sure,” Connor said. “I still like girls I guess?” 

 

“So bi, then?” 

 

Dylan shoved him. “Lay off, baby. He’s figuring it out.” It wasn’t a stern reprimand. Dylan combed through Mikey’s hair with his fingers, pressed a kiss to his forehead. Connor smiled at Dylan. He was grateful to not have to stick a label on it yet. He just...wasn’t sure. He was very sure about Leon. That’s all that mattered for now. 

 

“Well, we were thinking about doing this,” Dylan said, gesturing to them laying in bed, doing nothing, “for another hour-ish, then getting pizza. Sound good?” 

 

Connor agreed, thinking he could get some homework done when  _ shit. _ He’d forgotten his backpack at Leon’s in the rush of ‘I’m wearing Leon’s sweatshirt and we have to go.’

 

And then he realized he didn’t have Leon’s phone number. 

 

“What?” Dylan asked, seeing his anguish. 

 

“Backpack is at Leon’s, I don’t have his number.” 

 

“Instagram message him,” Mikey said easily. His eyes were closed, face happy from the scalp massage Dylan was giving him. Connor had no idea how they survived without each other. Well, he knew exactly how they survived without each other because he bore witness to ninety percent of their daily constant communication, but without  _ this— _ the touching. He already missed Leon’s hands on him, and they’d had one night together. And Leon was like, functionally down the hall. 

 

Mikey was right, though. Connor searched him on Instagram. His profile was private, but his username had ‘Leon’ in it (leondrai29) and his profile photo was him. Connor sent him a request and a message about his backpack and got a follow back and a message about a minute later. 

 

_ Shit, sorry about that. Guess you’ll have to come over and grab it tonight, huh? _

Then he sent his phone number. 

 

Yeah. He would have to go get it. He smiled, programed Leon’s number into his phone and sent over a ‘this is Connor’ message. Then he flipped the hood up on his hoodie and turned the TV on so they could watch some Netflix until lunch. He took tiny, tiny sips of his half-sweet mocha, trying to savor it, his brain soaked in the memory of Leon laying over him, kissing him over and over again. 

 

Connor wasn’t sure if he’d had some kind of “gay awakening” as Mikey was calling it, but something was different in his heart. And that was exciting. 

**Author's Note:**

> I like writing Connor as this like, bashful virgin good boy. Sue me. 
> 
> Hi you can find my fic blog on Tumblr [here](http://betsywritesfic.tumblr.com), and my personal blog (mostly hockey...a lot of Skam...) [here](http://thewestishharpooners.tumblr.com) :)


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